Heart of the Wolf
by PlotbunnyChariot
Summary: Balto and Jenna go for a mini sled race amongst themselves, but when trouble arises both canines are separated and Jenna is injured. Balto now has to find her to save her, but a freak blizzard is coming in and he is completely disoriented. What is he going to do to save the one he loves? And does it involve the wolf pack that have been roaming near town? Please read and review!
1. Chapter 1

Chapter One

Balto rushed through the street's snowy covering, skidding around the corner and digging in his paws for the final stretch. The wolfdog's brown fur whipped through the wind, and he glanced over his shoulder, laughing at the determined face of the husky right behind him.

"Come on, Jenna!" he called, ducking under a stray piece of rigging and leaping over another, "You'll never beat me!"

"Oh really?"

Balto watched in amazement as the beautiful red husky veered to her left and used the frozen pond as a speed boost, smoothly cutting ahead of him several meters down the road. His pace slowed for a second in shock before he picked it up again, driving his legs in a desperate attempt to catch up with her, but it was too late.

She leapt and slid across the finish line in style, snow spraying up from her feet and fur flashing in the sun. Boris, Muk, and Luk were waiting for them there and cheered when they saw her cross before Balto.

"Losing your touch, eh, Balto?" Boris nudged the wolfdog with his wing, a grin playing on his features.

"Ha, please Boris, I let Jenna win," Balto replied confidently, mischievous eyes darting to Jenna before returning to the goose.

"I doubt it, considering the look on your face when I passed you," she replied sarcastically, eyes glittering in the sunlight and fur fluffed up from the run. Muk and Tuk broke out into laughter, and Boris joined in.

"She's got you there, Balto!" he chuckled, slapping Balto gently over the head with his feathers. Luk started talking gibberish animatedly, and Muk waved his arms in acknowledgment, rapidly conversing with his brother on Jenna's win.

"Come on, guys," Balto chuckled, ducking out from under Boris's wing. "Alright, Jenna, you won fair and square. But I will beat you next time; this was just beginner's luck." He glanced around the company, eyebrows rising up in his own classic way. "Now, who wants to celebrate Jenna's victory?"

He was met with a resounding chorus of agreement.

After a small feast that Balto had prepared over the course of the week no matter how the race panned out, Boris started telling the stories of his old grandfather goose to the polar brothers. Glancing at Jenna over the animated group, Balto jerked his head back to indicate they go for a walk. Smiling, she got up herself and joined him.

"Be right back, boys! Be good for Uncle Boris now, you hear?"

Muk waved absent-mindedly, but other than that, the boys were far too interested in Boris's tale to really care about what Balto was saying or doing.

Laughing, he touched noses with Jenna and started walking. "So, where to tonight?" he asked, voice gentle and soft in her sweet presence. "Walk out into the snow prairie? Check out the pond by moonlight? Watch the Northern Lights?"

She nuzzled him back as they walked and thought for a moment. "How about we just walk and see where our paws take us?" she suggested instead, simply glad to be in his company.

"That's a great idea." He gazed lovingly at the one dog who had taken a chance on him, taking in her beautiful fur and sweet nose, but especially her star-lit eyes. He had discovered such beauty in those simple eyes that had looked back at him with the same love he shed on them. He hadn't realized, until he'd met Jenna, just how lovely eyes could be.

They strolled through the snowy town, passing by Rosy's bedroom window and watching her peacefully sleeping form before moving on. They found themselves on the wide snow prairie, the moon shining softly on the snow and illuminating Jenna's red and white fur in silver tones. They talked of many things until the topic of the race returned.

"If I do say so myself, Balto," Jenna laughed, "I did beat you rather flawlessly."

He chuckled himself and shook his head. "Whatever you say, Jenna."

"You think it was just luck, don't you?" she asked, eyebrows rising competitively. "I know you, Balto; you like a challenge. Tell you what, why don't we race again tomorrow, and I'll prove it to you that I can beat you, fair and square."

Balto tilted his head, ears flopping and eyes cocky. "Alright then," he replied slowly, "but why don't we make it a little more interesting?"

Her eyes narrowed suspiciously. "Interesting how?"

"We'll make it a sled race," he replied, growing more excited with each sentence. "We'll each pull a little sled, and we'll set up a track through the woods. Rosy helped her father make that other sled for Christmas, right? We'll just borrow both of hers; she won't mind; no doubt she'll love it that we're playing with them."

Jenna thought about the idea for a minute, mulling it over in her mind before deciding to reply. "Okay," she said thoughtfully. "I'm sure Rosy would love to see us having fun, and the sleds need to be used more anyway. Besides, I'd love to beat you again."

"Great! I'll get it all set up; the boys will help me."

"And I'll get the sleds," she replied, smiling.

As they neared the town again, Balto froze an instant before Jenna did at the howl that echoed through the snow-filled landscape. Ears twitching, he strained to hear where the sound was coming from, and his muscles tensed as more howls interweaved with the first, the eerie reverberation threading its way through the frosty air.

"How far?" Jenna whispered, the tips of her fur on end despite herself.

Balto closed his eyes and tried to judge the distance. "Only a few miles," he said, opening them again.

"They're getting closer every day," Jenna murmured, glancing towards the town.

"I know," he replied. "I've never heard these ones before; the howls are different. I'm worried they're getting desperate for food; the winter's been so harsh lately, and they might be travelling farther than usual to sustain themselves as best as they can." He glanced at Jenna out of the corner of his eye and instantly shut his mouth at the worried gleam in her eye. Nudging her gently, he turned her back towards the town.

"Don't worry," he murmured comfortingly. "They won't go into the town; likely they'll just go around us and leave us alone. If you want, we can stay home tomorrow."

"No, it's fine," she replied. "I don't want to bail now, after we've made our plans. We can just go the other direction tomorrow. I don't think they'll bother us during the day, anyway, and we'll be together."

"Are you sure?" he insisted, worried for her well-being despite knowing she was probably right.

"Positive," she replied, smiling up at him and nuzzling his ear. "Don't worry about me, Balto; I can handle myself."

"If you're sure," he replied, eyes shining at her strength and confidence, "then I guess it's alright with me."

The two padded together into town, Balto leaving Jenna at her house; he was spending the night at his usual place with Boris and the polar brothers. Yet even as he left her house, he felt an odd twinge go up his spine at another sound of a distant howl. He glanced back, but even his sensitive eyes could not see a thing besides the empty snow-scape. Not quite trusting his vision, he turned back for home, but not without gnawing on his thoughts like he would on a bone.

Maybe tomorrow wasn't such a good day for the sled race, or if they had one, it should be within the town...but no, it would cause too much chaos for the pedestrians if there were dogs _and _sleds flying about. And Jenna did want to race; who was he to imply that she was too weak or vulnerable to have fun and do so? She was one of the strongest dogs he knew. And anyway, the wolves wouldn't bother them during the day and likely wouldn't even be around them. No, he'd just keep the race closer to the town than he would have otherwise and keep close to her, and they'd be fine. He left for his place feeling much lighter than usual, fur no longer on end and pawsteps light.

They say what you don't know, can't hurt you...but Balto was about to find out how wrong that saying was.

Chapter Two is on the way! Please read and review, and if you have any suggestions let me know. This is my first time writing for Balto and I appreciate constructive criticism and help. :)


	2. Chapter 2: A Slippery Slope

_Chapter Two: A Slippery Slope_

Balto lifted his nose to the wind, taking in the scent of winter air and clean, sparkling snow. It was the perfect day for a sled race; the wind would be in their faces on their way to the turnabout point, but it would be at their backs for the finish, adding speed and exhilaration to the whole competition. The snow was strong enough to support the weight of a sled but soft enough to add slightly slippery conditions-perfect for strategic planning. Besides that, the sun was shining brightly, the weather was perfect, and there was no sign of the wolf pack anywhere near the area surrounding the town.

Balto himself had set out to scout the surrounding area earlier that morning, and he'd found no tracks or scents of the new wolves. He knew that the humans in town had been slightly worried about it as well and had checked themselves, finding nothing of interest. So it made perfect sense that he race Jenna today; what better conditions could a canine want?

He glanced over his shoulder and slowly smiled at the sight of Jenna walking up, Rosy laughing and jumping around her. The little girl made sure to adjust the harness snugly around Jenna's shoulders before hopping on the sled for a quick ride herself, giggling and talking happily to Jenna the whole time. Jenna herself looked radiant, simply because of her natural beauty and her joy at being there.

Boris nudged Balto in the ribs. "She looks beautiful today, eh?" he teased, secretly quite fond of the beautiful husky and the relationship his two favorite canines shared.

Balto merely chuckled and agreed with his feathered friend. "As always, Boris," he replied, eyes shining at the sight of his dear friend. He cocked an eyebrow with his usual mischievousness. "That doesn't mean I'll go easy on her, though," he added warningly.

"You ready?" Jenna asked as he drew up to the starting line. Rosy jumped off the back of her sled and petted Balto affectionately; he nuzzled her hand fondly in response.

"You two have fun on your race, now," the little girl informed them. "Don't get lost, and bring back my sleds, okay?" Jenna barked and licked her master's hand, while Balto chose to merely nuzzle the little human again. She had always understood and liked him, despite the other humans' reluctances, and even though he loved the humans of the town, he was still a bit reserved with them and loved Rosy the most.

Boris waddled up to the starting line, ruffled his feathers, and took up a very important-looking stance. "Right then," he announced, "Muk and Luk will be watching from the ship because of the better vantage point, so remember to acknowledge them when you run by. As you know, the course goes out into the forest for a bit before you hit the U-turn; it's a bit slippery out there, so watch out for that. Other than that, I want a good, clean race, so no cheating, you hear? The first one back with sled intact wins. Ready?"

Both canines assented and crouched lower to the ground, ready to take off.

"Go!"

In a rush of feathers and splashes of snow, the two dogs were off, running swiftly and steadily down the town's main road. Pedestrians got out of the way, but without much apparent hurry; the dogs had done this far too many times for the humans to be worried about anything, and Rosy had been proclaiming this race excitedly since earlier that morning.

Balto let the rush and speed zoom into his heart, legs pumping, tail steering, claws digging into the snow for traction. He lived for this kind of stuff-for the rush of his paws and the whoosh of wind in his fur. Jenna ran beside him, matching his pace, the skids on her sled flying through the snow and rattling behind her.

Both canines matched each other, paw for paw, as they reached the ship that Balto still called home. Muk and Luk shouted excitedly from the deck as they watched the two run by, and both canines laughed at their lovable antics. The two polar brothers watched longer as the canines raced by, still completely together in terms of speed and stamina, towards the forest. Muk and Luk then quickly embarked for the finish line, knowing their view would be obstructed when the canines entered the forest and wanting to be there at the finale.

Neither of them noticed the dark clouds on the horizon.

Streaks of red and brown plunged into the half-frozen woods, brown taking the lead because of the narrow path. Jenna followed right on his trail, trying to keep close to him without tripping on the polished skids of his sled. Both were too focused on the road ahead to focus on the sky; in between barren and broken branches, the sky's soft blue color was turning quickly greyer.

Jenna, whose focus was so heavily trained on the ground in front of her, noticed the lack of light first. Risking a quick glance at the sky, and seeing thickening dark storm clouds piling on top of one another, she shrieked ahead to Balto.

That was when everything went wrong.

In looking back, Balto's paw caught on a thick chunk of ice jutting out of the path, and he tripped on his own paws, the sled catching up with him and overtaking him. Swerving to avoid Balto, Jenna tripped herself and felt herself stumbling far too close to a sharp slope for comfort. He leapt up, trying to reach her in time, but his harness snagged on a jagged branch and he felt himself jerk back, watching her fall overboard.

Then the branch snapped.

Soon he was tumbling down the slope himself, the sled smashing into his body along with the branches, boulders, and ice chunks he met along the way. His world whirled out of his vision, everything becoming one big blur, and he couldn't find the breath to breathe. He was only dimly aware of the dark sky that played off the flashes of white ground he saw as he rolled over and over, powerless to stop or slow himself.

So when his body finally stopped and that darkened sky seemed to turn darker, he didn't quite realize what was going on. He was still reeling, and he could dimly feel the remains of the sled shattered around his body, but he thought he had stopped moving. And even though his nose felt a numb awareness of sharp cold, he couldn't see white; all he could see was dark...

The dark of a freak storm; the dark of a blizzard, jaws gaping and ready to swallow all in its path. The dark of clouds rolling to conquer the skies and blot out the sun forever. The dark of the trees' shadows gone wrong, of a slippery slope...

And the dark of unconsciousness.

[End of Chapter Here]

A big thanks to all those who have been reading! Please please please review so A. I know if people like it or not, B. I can see any suggestions or ideas you might have, and C. I can feel awesome about myself and feed my plot bunnies with said reviews. ;) There's a lot of cool stuff coming up in the following chapters, so stay tuned! :)


	3. Chapter 3: A View from Both Sides

**Chapter Three: A View from Both Sides**

Jenna awoke groggily, head aching and vision blurry. Shaking her head and stopping when the pain increased, she looked around as far as she could still see. As far as she could tell, she was in a natural hollow formed by the roots of a tree that had poked up through the ice. Her sled lay a little farther off, beat up but still generally usable; her harness was twisted painfully under her front legs and wrapped around some of the gnarled tree roots as well.

Gradually she became aware of the dull pain in her back leg, and she winced as she tried to move it. Glancing back, she realized that her ankle had been broken and was now tangled up in the roots just like her harness was. Gritting her teeth, she tried moving it again and let out a cry of pain; it burned like fire and bit like jaws.

"Just stop, Jenna," she told herself. "Moving it won't help anyway; where could you go on that paw?"

She focused instead on ridding herself of her harness, working carefully and agonizingly slowly with her teeth and front paws. Using the roots to her advantage, she finally managed to get the ropes off, and she collapsed again, chin falling on icy snow. Her eyes fluttered as she fought to remain consciousness.

"Think, Jenna, think," she whispered to herself, the sound echoing painfully in her ears. "You've got to keep awake...you fell down the slope, Balto...did Balto fall too? I don't know, I can't think...Alright, regardless, you can't go anywhere because of your paw. You've just got to stay awake, wait for Balto, he'll come..." She trailed off, losing her breath far too quickly than she would've liked. She struggled to remain awake, tried desperately to feel the ice beneath her or the dull ache in her paw, but her senses were numb and she was slipping.

"Hurry, Balto. Hurry..."

**oooooOOOOOOOooooo**

Balto groaned and managed to sit up, wincing at the pain in his shoulder. Grunting in annoyance, he shrugged off what was left of the harness, but the sled was in pieces and no longer attached to the tug rope. He took in a deep breath, smelling sharp snow and winter trees.

It was then, when he realized he couldn't find Jenna's scent, that he knew something was desperately wrong.

Looking frantically around him, he noticed part of the broken trail he had left on the slope behind him; it looked like he had changed direction several times, with the help of trees and boulders in his way. Yet he couldn't see very far up the slope, and he couldn't find Jenna's trail. He blinked and squinted, wondering why his vision was so weak, when he remembered and looked up.

The sky was getting darker by the second.

Leaping to his feet as quickly as possible despite the minor injuries he'd sustained falling down the hill, he struggled up the slope to get a better vantage point and started scanning. His nose twitched furiously as he scented the air, using the wind to his advantage, and his eyes and ears never stopped trying to locate Jenna. But despite his highly tuned senses, he couldn't detect her anywhere.

He wanted to take off to start searching immediately, but he realized that he had no clue of where she was, and going in a random direction could prove deadly if it was the wrong one. "How could we have gotten so separated?" he asked himself. "We were so close when we fell; there's no way we could drift apart so far so quickly."

He glanced at the sky again, the sudden increase in wind and the smell of new snow making him even more uneasy. He knew that if he'd gotten beaten up by the fall, Jenna certainly would have too. She could be anywhere, and wherever she was, she was probably in trouble. _I need to find her, _he thought to himself, the simple phrase repeating itself over and over in his mind.

"I will find you, Jenna," he whispered to himself, his last sentences becoming a yell in the wilderness. "Jenna! I will find you!"

**That's the end of this chapter! Sorry that it's short, but don't worry, the next one will be longer and will definitely be much more interesting. Please hang in there as I sort out the formatting on these chapters, and please read and review, even if you've never reviewed before! My plot bunnies are getting hungry and the reviews keep them going! :)**


	4. Chapter 4: Hearing the Wild

**Chapter Four: Hearing the Wild**

Balto plunged through the snow that was piling up faster than the lies Steele had told so long ago on that crazy night. Flashbacks kept trying to distract the wolfdog, but he fought through them, trying to focus on the task at hand. He had decided to make a wide sweep of the area before the storm blew everything into oblivion, and he'd been marking trees along the way just as he had that fateful night. Still, he'd made no real progress, and the blizzard wind was tearing at his coat, threatening to rip him off the ground. Snow was coming down heavily too, thick and wet; it was the kind the polar brothers loved to make snowballs with, to knock over an unsuspecting Boris.

The polar brothers! Muk and Luk were still back there, hopefully with Boris by now, but still potentially in harm's way. Balto couldn't go back now; he was going to have to trust that Boris's judgment and instinct had allowed him to find the brothers in time. Balto kept plowing on, the snow rapidly rising halfway up his legs even on the edge of the storm. He refused to think about how bad it would be when the storm's stronger center hit. He had to focus on finding Jenna now; there was no other way.

With every several paces he would call Jenna's name as loud as he could through the tearing wind, but he knew it wasn't likely that she would hear him or be able to respond. He wasn't even sure if she was still there, but he had to assume she was.

He had even tried howling a couple of times, but his voice had mixed eerily with the shrieking wind, and Jenna likely would take him for a wolf anyway, and not reply. It was when he was about to desperately shout her name again that it happened.

He heard another creature's howl.

Standing frozen in the snow, he listened carefully, not able to see anything anymore through the white storm. Closing his eyes, he tried to filter out the storm's vicious shrieking from the distinct howling sound he was sure he had heard; his ears didn't lie. Gradually, he felt the noise of the storm fade away as he drowned it out, and he once more heard a hair-raising howl on the wind. But this time, it was far closer.

Balto's eyes flashed open just in time to see a black shadow leaping out of the white storm-and into his face.

**oooooOOOOOOOooooo**

It all happened so suddenly that it was practically a blur to the wolfdog. He jumped back with a yelp of shock and skidded out of the way as wolves poured into the windy clearing, their liquid movement combined with their dark pelts and the blinding storm making them look like they were appearing out of nothing. In mere seconds he was surrounded by the dark, threatening shapes, seven canine faces staring back at his.

The black wolf, clearly the leader, stood in front of Balto, and the smart wolfdog crouched closer to the ground to appear less threatening. The wolf was huge; its amber eyes were framed by a thickly furred black face, its body heavy but athletic, its paws as large as Balto's but furrier. Balto gulped. What was he going to do now? He still had to find Jenna, but there was no way that was going to happen unless something miraculous happened with these wolves-not to mention the storm-and fast.

He met the leader's eyes and slowly stood up, recognizing the curious challenge in the eerie gaze. The wolf watched him the whole time, his followers staying where they were, and then lifted his frosted muzzle in another howl. His breath ran out like ice on the wind. Balto felt shivers run up his spine at the familiar sound before joining the leader as if on cue.

Was it just him, or did the howls weave together in the wild air like something out of Rosy's storybooks? He felt a sudden connection with the wolf, like he understood everything and nothing about him at the same time, and his soul felt a brief twinge as if he understood, for a rare moment, the wild itself.

For some odd reason, he felt a brief disappointment when the howl ended, but he quickly buried it; he had to focus on the here and now to deal with these wolves and find Jenna, and the feeling had been irrational anyway.

"Greetings, stranger," the black wolf said, his icy breath somehow reaching Balto's ears despite the wind. "Come with us. Then we can talk."

Balto wanted to object; there wasn't any time for delays. But his brain slapped him and reminded him that for one thing, upsetting these wolves definitely would _not _be helpful, and for another thing, he couldn't find Jenna alone in this storm and the wolves might be able to help him.

He followed.

**oooooOOOOOOOooooo**

The black wolf led Balto through the storm and into an area he'd never seen before. The first thing that hit him was the sudden near-silence that rocked his eardrums, and the second was the location itself. He had been led to the base of a low-leaning tree on the slope that, invisible from the top of the hill, formed a natural, sheltering hollow amongst the ground, the snowy branches, and the exposed roots. The rest of the pack poured in behind him, and though the space was cozy, it wasn't so small that he couldn't breathe or move comfortably.

That didn't mean he wasn't uncomfortable in general, however. Being surrounded by a pack of strange and potentially hostile wolves in the middle of a blizzard was not a comforting thought, and his position next to their huge leader wasn't either.

He glanced up to see those yellow-tinted eyes staring at him, and he gulped again, not sure what he was supposed to do. Fast-talk his way out of another one? Explain his situation? Or shut up and wait? Luckily for him, he didn't have to wait long to find out.

"What is your name, stranger?" the wolf asked. His voice was rough and almost raspy, but incredibly confident and sturdy.

The wolfdog cleared his throat and kept his eye contact with the amber-eyed wolf. "Balto," he replied simply, amazed himself at how well his voice held. He had never actually spoken with a wolf before, but despite the shock threatening to swamp his mind and body, something about this made him feel almost at home.

Home?

The black wolf nodded, and Balto felt a strange twist inside him as he pondered, just for a second, whether the wolf had been responding to his name or the question that had filtered briefly through his mind.

"I am known as Fuerza." He nodded briefly towards the other wolves there. "These are my mate Clemencia, my beta Derecho, Paz, Virtud, Fortaleza, Guerrero, and Vida."

Balto followed Fuerza's gaze , trying his best to memorize each face with each name. He could barely understand half of them, and mixing them up would be incredibly problematic for him, no doubt.

He dipped his head. "Greetings," he said, trying to sound as respectful as possible. "It is an honor to meet you all." He glanced back at Fuerza, who seemed quite curious indeed.

"It is our honor, Balto," Fuerza replied, the pronunciation of Balto's name sounding foreign and wild on his tongue. "Why are you in this storm?"

Balto could have asked the same question, but he decided that for one thing, doing so would prove his stupidity and earn him some negative points at the least, and for another thing, they were wolves; they could probably handle almost anything. So instead, he cleared his throat and told them the truth.

"I am looking for my friend," he said, his voice cracking slightly at the mention of his sweet Jenna. "We both fell down the slope and were separated. I believe she is still out there in the storm, injured. I must find her."

Fuerza nodded slowly, eyes calculating behind his dark furry mask. "And what is her name?" he finally asked after a moment of silence.

"Jenna." Balto had said it so quickly that he'd hardly had time to think about it; somehow the name sounded much worse spoken to another creature. Every second without her meant he was losing her, and he couldn't bear that thought.

Fuerza studied him closely one moment more before asking a very simple question. "Do you wish our help?"

Balto felt like eons were slipping away as he stood facing the massive beast in the midst of the blizzard. Something in what Fuerza had said clicked in Balto's mind; something in his question had had greater meaning than what met the eye. He felt like something was calling to him over the winds of the storm, over the noise and the rush...something incredibly important. Something he could never afford to ignore. Something wild.

He met the leader's gaze and replied with strength and confidence. "Yes."

"Then let us go."

**I hope you guys have been liking this! Things are starting to get interesting! The next chapter will be up soon, and until then please enjoy this one and write a review before you leave, even if you never have before. The reviews keep me going with this and make my day. By the way, kudos to all of you who know the meanings of Fuerza and his pack's names. :)**


	5. Chapter 5: Fighting and Listening

**Chapter 5: Fighting and Listening**

Jenna opened her blurry eyes, trying to see around her but unable to catch sight of much. Blinking, she tried to stand and yelped at the pain in back paw that she had briefly forgotten about. She cringed and took a deep breath, trying to control her breathing before she went into shock.

"Relax, Jenna," she told herself, "it's going to be okay. Everything is going to work out..." Her voice drowned in her throat as she realized why, exactly, she couldn't see. In front of her was a wall of thick snow.

She was trapped.

**oooooOOOOOOOooooo**

Fuerza led the way out of the hollow, piercing through the snowclad wind in the front of the group. Balto followed closely behind him, trying carefully to walk in his pawsteps. The other wolves surrounded him on all sides, and whether it was the wind or their presence, he felt his breath ripped away from him; something about the pack made him feel strong, confident, proud, and...at home.

He shook the thought from his mind and left it to lay in the snow. Nothing else but Jenna mattered right now. But what could Fuerza possibly have planned? How were they going to find her? Was there a plan in the first place, or was Balto just being led to his doom by the only souls who had a chance of helping him?

Balto chanced a glance to his right and recognized Clemencia, Fuerza's mate, plowing through the snow alongside him. Her thick fur was a pallet of many colors; silver, brown, black, and even sparks of gold danced through her pelt. She turned to glance in his direction, and her light golden eyes surprised him.

She lifted her muzzle up in a howl, and he felt something within him click as if he'd just jumped into freezing water. Time seemed to flow in ripples, washing over him and bringing him to the gates of eternity. He didn't know when Clemencia's form faded from his sight or when her eyes melted into the force of the storm.

All he knew was that he was following Fuerza, fighting with all his strength for Jenna's life.

**oooooOOOOOOOooooo**

Balto gasped at the frigid gust of air, trying to draw in the breath that would keep his legs moving through the snow that was climbing higher and higher. Time no longer existed; the world had always been this way, always covered in snow and enveloped in tearing winds. He had always treaded this icy road, his paws falling into the path another had made. He could no longer see; the white moisture around him had already blinded the wolf-dog, and he was now plowing through the wind by some sense unknown. His ears felt clogged with snow, and all he could smell was the White, the Wet, the Nothing.

So when, drifting in the nearly senseless void, he heard a voice speaking to him, he couldn't help but wonder if his mind had gone as well.

_Balto._

He tried to look around, but he felt like he couldn't move his now-heavy head. All he could do was slip into some sort of eternity and listen as the quiet, slightly raspy voice went on.

_You are strong, wolf-dog. I can see it in your eyes, in how you speak, in the muscles under your pelt. That is good. Your strength has helped you before and it will continue to do so in the future, so long as you nourish that force of power within yourself. Remember that you are powerful, wolf-dog, no matter what others say, and you will go through any storm life throws at you._

Balto closed his eyes, trying to shake the sound from his mind. It must be the wind, surely it was...what else could it be? Of course, he couldn't really hear the wind anymore, and the voice sounded incredibly familiar, but there was no way it was...

_I am the alpha Fuerza._

_I am strength. I am force. I am power._

_And you, Balto, are not alone._

**oooooOOOOOOOooooo**

Jenna struggled to hold onto her courage. She'd heard one too many stories about dogs and people alike trapped in avalanches, never to return, and she was terrified that something similar would happen to her. Images of never-ending snow and cold filled her mind, and the thought of never seeing Balto again struck her heart like a lightning bolt. Mirages of what she could lose danced in and out of her head, taunting and encouraging her by turns. Gritting her teeth, she felt a growl rise up in her throat, rumbling in the still air around her. No. She was not going to let some _snow _beat her; she refused to let it keep her within its death-cold grip.

Fighting the white-hot pain in her back paw, she pulled herself forward by degrees. She reached out a forepaw and began scratching at the snow that had clogged the entrance to the tree-root hollow.

If Balto was out there, coming to save her, she would be ready for him.

**oooooOOOOOOOooooo**

Balto felt power flood his body even as his ears reeled; another voice entered the conversation, weaving around his mind.

_I can tell you have a beautiful heart; your strength is evident, but it is not alone. Compassion and mercy filter through it, because you use your power for good and not for evil. Your strength is not merely physical; the force of your heart is so great that it outweighs the power in your limbs. Keep your heart pumping strong, Balto; never let the power of your limbs overshadow the power of your heart. Learn the differences and see how they are the same._

_I am Clemencia, mate of Fuerza._

_I am compassion. I am mercy._

_And I shall never leave your heart without my life._

Balto felt his heart thunder and pump stronger as her words poured into his soul.

_You are just, wolf-dog; you have a true sense of what is right and wrong. You must never lose this sense; just as strength moves your body and compassion helps your heart beat, justice balances your mind and keeps your sense of direction clear. Without it, you will be lost far worse than you are in this storm, but with it you will always have a compass to guide you. Never forget me, Balto, and you will always find the path meant for you._

_I am Derecho, beta of Fuerza._

_I am justice. I am righteousness._

_And I shall always be here to guide you._

Something clicked in Balto's mind, and he found himself turning a different direction than he had been going before. He didn't know how he moved in his near-senseless state, or where exactly he was going. All he knew was that he was going the right way.

_Greetings, dear wolf-dog. You are missing me; your heart is like a broken sheet of ice without my presence, but with me you can be whole again. You visit me at times, but I am sorrowful because you do not stay long; you do not invite me into yourself. You have much pain, but I can be within you even with such shards of discord. The tension within your heart must be resolved somehow; I offer peace to give you that resolution. I pray you will accept me, wolf-dog; if you do, I know your heart will be far happier at your decision._

_I am Paz, the child of Fuerza._

_I am peace._

_I wish to stay in your heart forever, if only you will let me in._

Balto sucked in a sharp breath at the gentle, floating words that touched a painful chord in his heart.

_You are virtuous, wolf-dog. I know your heart and mind know of my many aspects. You are hopeful, loving, and trusting. You have prudence and wisdom within you; they teach you where to go in your actions, and you follow them. Continue to follow prudence, wolf-dog, and you shall soon learn of my other aspects, for I encompass all virtue. I fight shoulder-to-shoulder with Derecho; we will work to guide you, so long as you remember both of us._

_I am Virtud, the elder brother of Paz._

_I am virtue._

_And I will remain with you, wolf-dog, no matter where you go._

Balto's paws felt lighter as the wash of Virtud's light swept through his soul, and in a flash he saw clearly the virtues he had and needed to yet attain.

_Your power, wolf-dog, is not used up in one time only; you are persistent and you struggle on, developing your strength into something far keener than the physical edge. You have fortitude; you keep going, no matter the challenges in your way. Fortitude is something you encompass in your very nature, wolf-dog, even better than the others. You combine it with justice and virtue; you fortify it with strength; you use it in compassion. You understand me, Balto; may we always be companions on your road of life._

_I am Fortaleza, companion to Fuerza._

_I am fortitude._

_And I will struggle with you in the battles of your life._

Balto felt a new energy surge in his body, from the tip of his tail to the ends of his claws, and his body picked up its pace.

_You are a fighter, wolf-dog. Your understanding of my brothers makes you the warrior you are, and you can never forget that part of yourself. You will continue to fight, no matter the cost, to save those you love. I respect that, wolf-dog. Perhaps, just perhaps, you are more wolf than dog. I will always be at your side, honored to fight with you until my last breath._

_I am Guerrero._

_I am the warrior._

_And I will fight with you until my last breath leaves my lungs._

Balto had expected a feeling of strength to sweep over him, but instead a steely resolve entered his heart, a sense of fighting even when the terror was overwhelming, simply because it was worth it in the end.

Gradually, his sight began to clear and his senses seemed to shake the snow from themselves like tree branches welcoming the warmth of spring. He could no longer see the wolves around him, but the storm was starting to break up.

It was then that he saw a red-furred paw break through a wall of ice.

**Thank you all so much for your patience with my incredibly slow updating, and also for reading and reviewing this story! I'm sorry it took me so long to continue this; my plot bunnies were having a war and, well, the Star Trek ones won out for a while there. Luckily my Balto ones managed to recover, and so here we have this chapter. Please leave a review before you leave-I'm begging you here!-and thanks for all your awesomeness. :)**

**PS For those who are wondering, Fuerza and his pack's names are roughly translated into English from Spanish. I gave my understanding of their translated names here. Hope you liked it. :)**


	6. Chapter 6: The Grand Conclusion

**Chapter 6: The Grand Conclusion**

Jenna gasped as her paw broke through the ice and hung out in fresh, freezing air. Feeling the breath go out of her lungs, she collapsed forward, breathing heavily to try to get the life-force back. She couldn't do anything more; her body had to rest, even if her mind and heart were in a frantic dance of fear.

But she didn't have to fear long.

"Jenna? Jenna!"

"Balto?" she gasped, trying to push herself forward but completely unable to.

Snow and ice were scraped away from the entrance, and soon she found herself drawing in the scent of Balto's sweet, sweet fur.

"Balto, what happened?" she managed to ask.

"Don't worry, Jenna," he replied, somehow tugging her still-surviving sled out of the snowdrift. "The storm is passing. We're going home."

**oooooOOOOOOOooooo**

Balto rushed through the main street of the town, barking as loud as he could and praying someone would come out to help him.

He watched in relief as Rosy's parents, accompanied by their daughter and many others, poured out of the buildings and rushed to take Jenna from him and to the only vet in town. She would be okay now. Everything would be okay. He finally relaxed, feeling his heart drop to the tips of his claws at the sudden relief, even as he saw Boris and the polar brothers rushing to meet him from the other end of the street.

"Balto! You're okay!"

"What happened?"

"Where's Jenna?"

He managed to explain the story-or the believable bits of it-over their chaotic jabbering, and soon he found himself swept up in the miniature crowd of animals. Before he really knew what was going on, he was back home at the ship, Boris shoving cold soup down his throat and the polar brothers wrapping him in both a blanket and a dog-pile. Er, polar bear pile. It took quite some time to convince his concerned adopted family that he was alright, but an hour later he was again racing through the streets.

He found, from checking in at Rosy's window, that Jenna was resting and would recover quickly. From what Rosy's parents were telling the child, Jenna had broken her paw badly but would not be affected by it once it healed. The wolf-dog gazed lovingly at the husky who lay sleeping on Rosy's bed. Could any braver, more beautiful dog exist? It couldn't be possible.

"I'm sorry for what happened, Jenna. I'll make it up to you, somehow," he whispered.

"It was not your fault, wolf-dog."

He spun around to see Fuerza behind him, his black coat seeming misty in the winter air. "Fuerza? What...what are you doing here? What happened?"

The wolf cocked his head, amber eyes gentle and studying. "It is not for me to tell you what happened, Balto," he replied. "But your Jenna will recover. The pack will leave your town, and things will return to normal for your people."

Before Balto could form words to reply to the wolf, a swish of Fuerza's tail cut him off. "Be at peace, brother. We were honored to help you, to test you. You will see..."

Balto squinted in shock as Fuerza's form began fading from his sight.

"We will always be with you, in spirit..."

Fuerza disappeared right where he stood.

**oooooOOOOOOOooooo**

Balto raised his nose to the starlit sky in a howl of farewell. It had been several hours since Fuerza's disappearance, and the wolf-dog was melancholy with the loneliness of being separated from Jenna as well as having to deal with the unsolvable mystery. He had left Boris, Muk, and Luk not long ago to get some fresh air. He let out a breath and watched the icy fog catch a ride on the breeze.

It was then that he heard someone else's farewell.

_Greetings, sweet wolf-dog. I am the last to visit you. Did you think I would forget you, you who I know so well? I grant you my blessing. Be at peace, sweet Balto; we know now whose heart you have. Your heart is not divided between wolf and dog as you have thought so many times before. You have the heart of a wolf, Balto; a heart that includes Strength, Compassion, Righteousness, Peace, Virtue, Fortitude, a Warrior spirit, and even Life itself. We are spirit-wolves, young one. The storm, sweet Balto, was not merely a natural one. It was as much a part of nature as a part of the supernatural; it was a spiritual test for your heart as well as your beloved's. You both have passed. Your beloved's heart is pure and strong, much like yours. You have the heart of a wolf, sweet Balto, as will your daughter. My congratulations in advance, Wolf Heart. Your pups and your life with your beloved will be beautiful._

_I am Vida._

_I am life._

_And I will always bless you and your beloved._

**Fine! A huge thank-you to all those who have read and reviewed this story! Please drop a review off before you leave; I'd like to hear what you have to say, suggestions or otherwise, about my first Balto piece. As a PS for a reviewer who asked, I tried to write the wolves' speech in a way that sounded formal and almost mystical/spiritual versus just being regular, but that kind of just came naturally. I think I would do that for regular wolves as well, so I probably side with those who view wolves in the Balto universe that way, but that could change, too. Anyway, I hope you all enjoyed it and the twist as much as I did. May the heart of the wolf be always with you! :)**


End file.
